Porsche challenges new charge

Luxury car maker Porsche is to challenge Transport for London's decision to expand the controversial Congestion Charge.

Porsche said it will seek a judicial review of the £25 charge, which Mayor Ken Livingstone announced last week will be levied on drivers of the most polluting cars in central London.

The new charging structure - which starts on October 27th 2008 - will see drivers of the least polluting cars receiving a discount, while those in the higher-polluting vehicles will pay the increased fee with no discount for residency.

It will apply to vehicles emitting more than 225 grammes of carbon dioxide per kilometre, as well as those registered before March 2001 with engines larger than 3,000 cc.

Vehicles that emit less than 120g of carbon dioxide per kilometre will get a 100 per cent discount.

But Porsche said the increase represents a 3,025 per cent increase for those living in central London – a change the company views as grossly unfair.

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